Application of EU Artificial Intelligence Act to begin on 2 August 2025

The provisions of the EU AI Regulation on, for example, general-purpose AI models will be applied in the EU countries as of 2.8.2025. However, national legislation related to the tasks of the national authorities, the designation of notified bodies and sanctions does not yet apply in Finland at that time.

As a rule, the AI Act is directly applicable legislation but it requires supplementary legislation at the national level. The government proposal to Parliament for legislation supplementing the EU AI Act was submitted on 8 May 2025. Because the legislative proposal on the national implementation of the Act is still under consideration in Parliament, national legislation on the designation of notified bodies and sanctions will not be applied as of 2.8.2025 in accordance with the transition period laid down in the AI Regulation, but only after the processing of the legislative proposal is completed later in the autumn.

Consequently, no sanctions for violating the AI Act will be imposed in Finland from August. Furthermore, the authorities would not yet start supervising artificial intelligence systems or providing guidance on compliance with the AI Act in Finland. Nor would the procedure for designating notified bodies begin.

The requirements and obligations of actors concerning general-purpose AI models (GPAI models) laid down in the Act will apply from 2 August 2025. General-purpose AI models include large generative AI models that produce text, audio, images or videos. The European Artificial Intelligence Office operating under the European Commission is responsible for the supervision of general-purpose AI models.

The EU AI Act aims to ensure that AI systems introduced or entering the market in Europe do not endanger people’s safety, health or fundamental rights. The Act creates harmonised rules for the provision, deployment and use of AI systems in the area of the European Union. The Act focuses particularly on harmful uses of artificial intelligence.

Inquiries
Nathalie Dahl, Senior Ministerial Adviser, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, tel. +358 29 504 7232
Lasse Laitinen, Senior Specialist, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, tel. +358 29 504 7162

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